Oi Va Voi - The Water's Edge (Parallel Skies 
Records)
Release Date: Out Now
This might not be the album you want right now but this latest release from Jewish collective Oi Va Voi is quite possibly the album you need, nay, the album we all need. 'The Water's Edge' is riddled with sounds, influences and emotions from across the spectrum and they work brilliantly together without any sense of clash or conflict. The album opens with 'Sad Dance' that is, indeed, sad in tone as an clarinet mournfully sways in the background behind a beat and melody that speaks of fragile hope. Recent single 'Shine A Light' takes that battered seedling of hope and gives it love, energy and power to rise up like a pop stomper but with heart, meaning and soul. It is a powerful opening pair.
'Lay Your Head' continues the theme of hope in the face of extreme adversity but with almost tabla sounding percussion in the breakdowns and winding, slithering violins snaking between each beat. The gentle rippling guitar notes of 'Strangers' provides some respite initially but then those drums join in again to bring the energy while 'Dance Again' builds from a relatively sombre start into something full of defiance fuelled by the brilliantly loose and Madchester-esque drumming of Josh Breslaw. Album title track 'The Water's Edge' is a shimmering, wintry song that has hints of Poppy Ackroyd to the atmospherics but 'Josephine' nods more to Joanna Newsome but with bigger beats and a theatrical clarinet melody.
On 'Oceans' we are treated to one of the more intimate songs on the album as a soft guitar melody hums and strums away with a wash of waves in the background. Penultimate track 'Wave' has a 90s sound to it, like a mix of Dubstar and Lush, before we end this emotional odyssey with 'Babylon Nights' - a track that leans into the musical Jewish heritage of the band whilst blending it with more contemporary influences. There is so much to enjoy, appreciate and applaud on this album and I genuinely hope some of these tracks reach a wide audience because despite the sad tones there is celebration and hope here - something we should always look and listen for.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/oivavoi
Live Dates: